Why Americans are warming to China

Plus: No more Trump Avenue  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Richard Hall | September 25, 2026     Hello there. When President Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping met at the White House on Thursday, the fate of Taiwan was high on the agenda. As the two leaders try to navigate one of the world's most dangerous flashpoints, we're featuring a profile of the American admiral who commands U.S. forces in the Pacific, and whose job is to prepare for a scenario in which diplomacy fails. Our viral moment today comes from Ukraine, and can best described as a cross between WALL-E and The Terminator. IN TODAY’S BRIEF The admiral confronting China No more Trump Avenue Americans’ views of China DHS vs Nevada A robot rescue         READ THIS FIRST Exclusive: The admiral who must prevent war with China Philip Cheung for TIME Few Americans have heard of Admiral Samuel Paparo. He says he’d prefer to keep it that way. As head of U.S. Pacific Command, Paparo oversees roughly 400,000 military and civilian personnel, a Pacific Fleet of about 200 ships, including five aircraft carrier strike groups, and more than 1,000 aircraft. His most important job is to stop a war before it starts by deterring China from invading Taiwan. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called bringing Taiwan under Beijing's control "a historical inevitability," and U.S. officials say he has ordered his military to be ready to seize the island by 2027. In an interview with TIME at the command's headquarters in Hawaii, Paparo described his mission simply: convince Beijing that an invasion would cost more than it could ever gain. "If I do my job right," he says, "history will never know my name." Read the story here.         SPONSORED Hiring abroad? The real cost might surprise you Compensation is just the starting point. Taxes, benefits, employer contributions, and compliance costs can add up quickly, and vary by country. Use Oyster’s calculator to estimate what a global hire could really cost, so you can build a more accurate hiring budget and avoid surprises. Calculate your hiring costs         IN THE NEWS No more ‘Trump Avenue’: Canada’s capital moves to rename street Evelyn Hockstein—Getty Images Ottawa's City Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to remove President Donald Trump’s name from a residential street in the Canadian capital amid an increasingly hostile trade war. The motion to rename “Trump Avenue” in the city’s Central Park neighborhood was brought forward by River Ward councillor Riley Brockington on Sept. 9 and swiftly received support from other local officials. “I don't like the idea of anything that's named for Donald Trump, who's demonstrated hostility towards Canada,” Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said at a news conference after the vote. The move symbolizes the strained relations between the two countries, as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney goes head-to-head with the Trump Administration in a trade standoff.  The streets in Ottawa’s Central Park neighborhood were named after New York City institutions in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when Trump was primarily known for his businesses and real estate ventures, long before his political aspirations came to fruition. —Tiago Ventura         SPONSORED Your K-Cups Sat in a Warehouse for Months Grocery store pods spend months going factory → warehouse → truck → shelf, losing the flavor oils that make coffee taste like coffee. Angelino's roasts, packs, and ships within days — 50+ flavors, compatible with Keurig®, from 39¢ a cup. New customers save 15%, no code needed. Try Fresh-Roasted Pods         IN FOCUS Surveys show more Americans warming to China Oliver Contreras—AFP/Getty Images As Trump hosted Xi at the White House this week, new polling suggests Americans feel warmer toward Beijing than they have in years. A Pew Research Center survey published Wednesday found that the share of Americans with a cold view of China has fallen to 54% from 68% in 2021. Over the same period, the share of Americans with a warm view of China grew from 11% to 19%, while those with a neutral view grew from 20% to 27%. The findings are based on responses from 1,168 U.S. adults who were asked to rate China as part of a broader survey conducted Sept. 14-20. Another survey published this week by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs found that American sentiment toward China has warmed since a record low in 2024. The survey, conducted July 10-21, showed that fewer Americans see China as a threat, with 41% considering China’s territorial ambitions a critical threat to the U.S. as compared to 52% in 2022. Americans also increasingly favor cooperation with China over containment: 57% said the U.S. should engage with China, while 40% think the U.S. should actively limit the growth of China’s power. “There is appetite for engagement. Part of this may be recognition that better understanding is a positive,” says Ja-Ian Chong, associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore. Chong says the results reflect a “rebound” from pandemic-era lows of U.S. views of China. A Pew survey published in July 2020 found that 73% of Americans viewed China unfavorably—then the highest share since Pew began tracking the measure in 2005. By 2023, a separate Pew survey found that figure had risen to 83%, amid widespread concern about Beijing’s relationship with Russia and tensions over Taiwan. President Donald Trump has also signaled greater openness to Beijing, at least in its economic relationship. The “positive language coming from the White House” may have fueled some of the shift, Chong tells TIME. Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington on Wednesday to much fanfare, marking the leaders’ third in-person meeting since Trump returned to office. Economic negotiations have been central to that diplomatic thaw, which the Chicago Council report said suggests that the Trump Administration views China primarily through an economic lens, rather than strategic competition. —Miranda Jeyaretnam         ONE NUMBER 0 The Department of Homeland Security sent a list of 185 names to Nevada, claiming they had all been identified as noncitizens who had been improperly allowed to register to vote. After checking the list, the state found zero out of the 185 were noncitizens, according to the New York Times. SOURCE: NEW YORK TIMES         A VIRAL MOMENT WALL-E II This video from the front lines of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion offers a glimpse into modern warfare.         SPONSORED Your identity deserves 24/7 protection Identity theft can happen to anyone. Coveron monitors your credit, dark web, and financial activity to catch fraud before it costs you. One scam can cost you everything, protect yourself now, the first 100 users get 20% off with code beehiivenewsletter. Get Fraud Coverage Now! 30-day money-back guarantee. Terms and conditions apply.       Linked In this addictive word-association game, find the steps that will unite two seemingly unrelated words in just four moves. PLAY NOW       ALSO WORTH YOUR TIME HEALTH The 5 Best Strength Exercises for People Over 50 AI  AI Arrived at the Worst Possible Moment       More Newsletters from Click to sign up. D.C. 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